Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He was once described by The Church Times as a "blood-crazed ferret". He is on Twitter as HolySmoke. His latest book is The Fix: How addiction is taking over your world. He also writes about classical music for The Spectator.

Traditional Anglicans prepare to convert

As I predicted in July, meltdown in the Anglican Communion has persuaded thousands of traditionalist Anglicans that it's time to come over to Rome. And Pope Benedict is very keen to welcome them.

The Pope understands Catholic-minded Anglicans

News broke this week that three Anglican parishes in Ireland two in the north, one in the south want to be reconciled to the Holy See. That could mean up to 300 worshippers being received at once, keeping their church buildings. But this is the tip of an iceberg.

The College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion which represents around 400,000 people worldwide has written to the Vatican "seeking full, corporate, sacramental union". The TAC is not giving interviews about this, but you can find its statement here.

The TAC, which is Catholic in worship and conservative in theology, has churches in Africa, Australia, the Torres Strait, Canada, Central and South America, England, Ireland, India, Pakistan, Japan and the United States. Also, I know from talking to my Anglo-Catholic friends outside the TAC that they feel that the time has come to "cross the Tiber".

Two factors are crucial. One, the Anglican Communion is now on a life-support system: when leading bishops from the Church of England are thinking of boycotting the 2008 Lambeth Conference, you know the game is over.

Two, Benedict XVI is more sympathetic than John Paul II to Catholic-minded Anglicans. He has been talking to them unofficially for years. He understands and shares their reservations about liberal RC bishops and bad liturgy.

I'm convinced that the Pope's liturgical reforms are aimed partly at bringing anxious Anglicans into the fold. With the Motu Proprio in place, the ability of Bishops' Conferences to make life difficult for conservative converts is greatly reduced. Things are happening fast. I'm going make some more enquiries and report back.